Look Who's Lobbying

It pays to question why some lobbying takes place, and if it is in the best interest of the people. So, let’s try asking the first question: Who’s lobbying?

• American Coal Association
• Petroleum Institute of America
• American Bankers Association
• Religious groups, sects and denominations
• Many more; you name them and I’ll research them!

The next question is: Why are they lobbying?

• Coal lobby is trying to get the public to ask their legislators and congressmen to exert pressure on the Environmental Protection Agency and the companion state EPAs to back off stricter controls on use of coal.
• Petroleum lobby wants
• Federal and state regulators to ease off mileage requirements for automobiles and trucks
• Drilling and exploration regulations eased to increase oil supplies
• Maintain low cost shipping regulations for international oil shipping
• Continue scare tactics on scarcity and price of oil without seeking meaningful replacement energy sources
• The banking lobby has many objectives:
• Tax credit unions as not deserving of non-profit status
• Reduction of competition so they can earn more profit
• Pay less taxes
• Simplify regulations
• Removal of Glass-Steagall Act and keep it that way (it was removed late in 1999); they do not want the act re-imposed or any law like it adopted
• Continue scare tactics and fear; “do this or we will have to…”
• Religious groups have many lobbyists working on their behalf. They wish to change laws that will codify their belief system into the laws of the land. These include:
• Anti interference in all things religious; allow churches absolute freedom to be and act without any governmental involvement
• Anti tax pressures on religious institutions when religious entities get involved in politics, lobbying and legislation when they are barred from this activity if they are to retain their tax free status
• Anti abortion laws to make the state and church position identical in matters related to abortion laws and protocols
• Anti gay marriage message
• Anti gay adoption laws
• Anti gay family tenets

Now for the third question: Are the goals of the lobbyists in the best interest of the public?

• Coal: No. Coal producers left to their own standards would increase pollution of air, water and soil throughout coal mining regions. They would also not be motivated to lower mining hazards to safeguard miners’ safety and health
• Petroleum: No. Drilling in pristine regions would forever scar the environment in all three categories (air, water, soil) and in especially delicate eco-regions; the same is true in deep underwater drilling such as off short Atlantic and Pacific coastal areas as well as the Gulf of Mexico. Allowing lower auto mileage standards allows auto manufacturers to avoid inventing long-term solutions that would serve public interests far better. The same is true in transoceanic shipping standards for oil tanker design and manufacturer. We need new energy sources and technologies not continued reliance on the old ones
• Banking: No. Credit Unions serve modest means members with lower loan interest, higher deposit interest, lower service fees, and personal service. CU competition in the market helps keep banks from charging higher loan rates, paying lower deposit rates, and charging fees on every little contact or service provided to a customer. Banks are in the business of making money and paying their shareholders and executives dividends and bonuses. CUs are in the business of service (their long-time motto: “not for profit, not for charity, but for service”). Banks have also gained lowered levels of regulation which led directly to the mortgage market collapse caused by greed, fraud and runaway competition. Bank lobbyists have cost the American public trillions in lost taxes, higher loss bail outs, and disruption to the economy which caused massive and prolonged unemployment second only to the Great Depression.
• Religious: No. Religions and their supporters are becoming a third political party that supports some existing parties and politicians. If they walk and talk like a politician and political party, they should be taxed as such and regulated as such. I go to church to worship God and his universe, not to get instruction on how to vote on any issue or for any elected official. Academicians are studying many of the issues churches are interested in but the researchers have the scientific method working to keep them honest and unbiased in their conclusions. Society needs the straight scoop based on facts, not beliefs.

I could go on but I’d only be nit picking the obvious.

December 1, 2011